wilson



No. 753,343. PATENTED MAR. 1, 1904. W. WILSON & T. W. BAKER.

TRAY PQR HOLDING EGGS 0R FRUIT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1902.

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Q W. WILSON & T. W. BAKER.

TRAY-FOR HOLDING EGGS 0R FRUIT.

APPLIGATIOH YFILBD'JUNE 20, 1902.

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Patented March 1, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM WILSON, OF LONDON TOWNSHIP, AND THOMAS WV. BAKER, OF

LONDON, CANADA.

TRAY FOR HOLDING EGGS OR FRUIT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '7 53, 343, dated March 1, 1904.

Application filed June 20, 1902.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM WILsoN, a resident of London township, and THOMAS W. BAKER, a resident of the city of London, in the county of Middlesex, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trays for Holding Eggs or Fruit, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements on trays for safely and securely holding eggs or fruit during transportation or storage, as will be hereinafter first fully set forth and described and then pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tray embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is another perspective view of same. In this view the cord is removed and the top flaps raised. Fig. 3 is another perspective view of Fig. 2, showing the cover removed. Fig. 4 shows the flanged partition resting on the bottom of the tray and in position at the junction of two cell-sections. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the tray, the cells being removed and said tray being provided with battens. Fig. 5 is another perspective view of said tray provided with a folding handle. Fig. 6 is another view of same, showing the handle folded on the top of the tray to hold the top flaps on the removable cover and the latter firmly and securely in place.

In the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 designates the bottom, 2 the sides, and 3 the top flaps formed in one piece, and 4 the removable covering-plate of a tray, all formed of strawboard or other resilient or springy material. r

5 designates the ends'of the tray, formed of wood or other light firm rigid non-resilient material and provided with the ventilationopenings 6 and 8 designates battens secured underneath the tray at two opposite sides, as shown in Fig. 4. 9 designates cells, which may be constructed in one or more sections, as desired, according to the size of the tray, and the lateral parti- Serial No. 112,456. (No model.)

tions (1 of said cells or the partitions aof said cells parallel with the ends 5 are cut away centrally, as shown at 5, Fig. 3, or are formed of less. depth, so as not to extend upward to the same height as the longitudinal partitions c of said cells. This provides ventilationopenings in the cell-partitions at opposite the ventilation-openings 7 in the ends 5. 10 designates a partition provided with a flange 11,

which partition is placed at the junction of two sections of said cells when said cells are formed in two or more sections, the flange 11 extending under the adjacent portion of the cells of one of said sections, all as shown in Fig. 4, whereby when the sections are provided orfilled with the articles to be transported the weight of the one section bearing on the flange 11 of the other section will form a simple means for holding the respective sections in their relative positions, and in said Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings the partition 10 is shown provided with one flange extending from one side only; but said partition 10 maybe provided with flanges 11 extending in opposite directions therefrom, if desired.

12 designates a cord or flexible band extending around said tray, as shown in Fig. 1.

13 designates holes formed opposite one another in the opposite sides 2 of the tray.

14 designates a handle provid ed, with the angular ends d, which are fitted to and adapted to engage with the holes 13 in the sides 2, and said handle 14 is adapted to bind on the sides 2, so that when adjusted to the position shown in Fig. 6 it firmly holds the top flaps 3 on the removable cover 4 and the latter firmly and securely in place. Italso braces, stiifens, and strengthens the sides 2 and at the same time provides a convenient means of handling said trays when adjusted to the position shown in Fig. 5.

The cells 9 are placed in the tray and an egg or piece of fruit in eachcell. The removable covering-plate 4 is then placed over the cells and contents and the flaps 3 turned over on said covering-plate, as shown in Fig. 1, and the whole held together by thecord or flexible band 12.

By providing the trays with cells each egg or piece of fruit is perfectly isolated, and by forming the openings 6 and 7 in the ends 5 and the lateral partitions on of the cells cut away at I) or at a lower or different elevation than the longitudinal partitions c, as described, thorough ventilation is secured for each of said cells and for the eggs or fruit contained therein, and this, together with complete isolation of each egg or pieceof fruit, all sweating and consequent heating of the eggs or fruit is prevented, whichis the principal cause of decay. Asaresult an important condition for the perfect preservation'of the eggs or fruit is thus attained, and by forming the bottom and sides of the tray and the top flaps and removable covering plate of a resilient or springy material and with the battens 8 at the two opposite sides underneath the tray any blow or jar the case may receive will .be taken up by or expended in said resilience, and thus prevent breakage of the eggs or the bruising of the fruit or other injury to the contents of the tray. Thus another very important condition for the perfect preservation of the eggs or fruit is attained, and by forming the ends of the tray of wood or other rigid non-resilient material and the battens 8 at two opposite sides underneath the tray strength and firmness is given to each tray, which prevents excessive vibration'or movement of the eggs or fruit, thus materially assisting in preventing breakage of the eggs or bruising of the fruit, and in large trays, in which the cells are formed in sections, the flanged partitions 10 are used to further strengthen and give firmness to the tray and cells, and thus further assist in preventing excessive vibration or movement of the contents of said cells, and said ends 5 being formed of wood or other rigid non-resilient material they give such strength to the trays that when they are piled one upon the other all crushing of the under or lower trays or their contents is avoided and completely prevented. At the same time injury to their contents is practically prevented by the resiliency of the bottom and sides, and by providing trays for holding eggs or fruit, as described, any one of said trays may be drawn from: the packing case or crate (not shown) in which they are contained and their contents inspected rapidly and replaced, thus giving instant examination. At the same time the handles 14 provide a convenient means for carrying the trays when desired.

We have found by experiment that the construction herein shown and described gives the best results. At the same time, while we prefer said construction, we do not wish to limit ourselves to the details thereof, as they may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, we claim 1. In combination with the rigid ends, the resilient bottom and side walls, battens secured to the bottom, flaps secured to the side walls, cells arranged between the said side and end walls,said cells and end walls being formed with communicating openings, and means for holding the said flaps in a folded position, said means being pivoted to the side walls of the tray.

2. The combination with the rigid end walls and the removable cover-plate, of the resilient bottom and side walls and top flaps adapted to overlie said plate formed integral, and means for holding said flaps in engagement with said plate. i

3. In a device ofthe type set forth, a box having side walls and a bottom, end walls, and flaps adapted to partly overlie upper edges of said ends, said side walls bottom and flaps being composed of a single strip of resilient material, in combination with means arranged in said box for supporting articles, a 'means for closing the upper end of the said lastnamed means, and means for holding the said flaps in engagement therewith.

In testimony whereof we have signed in the presence of the two undersigned witnesses.

' WILLIAM WILSON.

THOMAS W. BAKER.

Witnesses:

P. J. EDMUNDS, A. BYRICK. 

